Auto fender



Jul '15 1924.-

WITNESS:

- 1,501,820 A. STEACH- AUTO FENDER Filed Feb. 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \v INVENTOR Jul 15, 1924. 1,501,820 A. STEACH AUTO FENDER Filed Feb. 9,. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet '5. I We? 1 v '1- llllllllllllllllllllillllll wlmsss: ATTORNEY f7 I 7 i mzv c w fa? I Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER STEACI-I, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTO FENDER.

Application filed February 9. 1924. Serial No. 691,771.

.7'0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Amen-morn S'rnAcr-r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Auto Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles, the general object of the invention being to provide means for preventing serious injury to persons struck by the vehicle by providing a resiliently mounted bumper at the front of the vehicle and cushioned means for catching and holding a person struck by the bumper and caused to fall over the same.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of an automobile showing my invention in use.

Figure 2 is a. plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure a is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the bumper.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view through a part of the supporting means of the device.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the locking means for the bottom piece of the casing.

In these views, 1 indicates a frame which is attached to the front part of an automobile, which is shown at A, and which extends outwardly beyond the front wheels. This frame includes the rear upright pieces 2 and the side pieces 3 which form a rectangular casing, the front and top of which is open. The bottom piece 4. of the casing is pivotally supported by the pintles 5 which are connected with the ends of the bottom and which engage journals in the lower ends of the sides. A stop 6 on the rear piece preiu one direction and a latch member 7 on the front bar of the frame normally prevents movement in an opposite direction. By withdrawing this latch member the bottom piece can be tilted so as to dump any matter that may collect in the casing. The rear, side and bottom pieces are provided with cushioning means 8 so that a person falling in the casing will not be injured. The side pieces are provided with tubular parts 9 at their outer sides for receiving the rods 10 which are connected with the bumper 11, springs 12 being arranged in the tubular parts for resisting the inward movements of the rods and the bumper. I prefer to use a pair of these tubular pieces and rods at each side of the frame and to connect each pair of rods with the bumper by a cross piece 13 which is suitably secured to the bumper. A pad 14 of rubber or the like is fastened to the front face of the bumper so as to prevent injury to persons struck by the bumper.

From the foregoing it will be seen that if a person should be struck by a vehicle provided with my invention the pad on the bumper would tend to lessen the force of the blow of the bumper and if the blow should cause the person to fall over the bumper he would be caught by the casing and carried along with the vehicle and thus be prevented from passing under the vehicle before it is stopped. The cushions within the casing will prevent injury to the person falling into the same. If he should be knocked down the bumper would simply push him along the ground until the vehicle came to a stand-still and the pad on the bumper would lessen the chance of injury to the person. The bumper when striking a person would move inwardly against the action of the springs and this would also lessen the chance of injury to the person struck.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a vehicle, a frame vents tilting movement of the bottom piece connected with the front thereof and comprising side and rear upright pieces forming a casing, a bottom for the casing, a bumper resiliently supported from the frame and arranged in front of the casing and means permitting the bottom to be tilted.

2. In combination with a vehicle, a frame connected with the front thereof and in cluding upwardly extending side and rear pieces forming a casing, a tiltab-le bottom for the casing, latch means for holding thebottom in closed position, cushions on the side and rear pieces and on the bottom, a bumper, means for movably supporting the bumper from the frame and spring means for resisting the rearward movement of the bumper.

3. In combination with a Vehicle, a frame connected with the front thereof and including upwardly extending side and rear pieces forming a casing, a tiltable bottom for the casing, latch means for holding'the bottom in closed position, cushions on the side and rear pieces and on the bottom, a bumper, means for movable supporting the bumper from the frame, spring means for resisting the rearward movement of the bumper and a pad on the front face of the bumper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALEXANDER STEACH. 

